Meat Loaf: I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) Meaning

Song Released: 1993

I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) Lyrics

And I would do anything for love, I’d run right into hell and back
I would do anything for love, I’ll never lie to you and that’s a fact
But I’ll never forget the way you feel right now, oh no, no way
And I would do anything for love, but I...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Mar 30th 2008 !⃝

   by Alisyn Camerota
   
   So here’s what Meatloaf told me the song means: he said that there’s a line that comes before every “but I won’t do that” that refers to what he won’t do.
   
   For instance in the first stanza it’s “I’ll never forget the way you feel right now,” in the second one it’s “I’ll never forgive myself” and on and on. Before each chorus, there’s a different thing that he would never do. When you read it, you’ll see what he means. As I asked him, “So it’s a riddle, wrapped in an enigma?”
   
   “Yes,” he said. And he, of course, always enjoyed the suspicion that it had something to do with sex.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Oct 21st 2006 !⃝

   In this song meat loaf is saying that he would give absolutely anything to be loved and to feel love except go around and start "screwing around". He won't cheat just to make love to someone and feel a little loved.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jul 17th 2008 !⃝

   He is DEFINITELY talking about anal.
4. anonymous

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   Jul 6th 2018 !⃝

   He will not engage in oral sex with her. He will not lick carpet.
5. anonymous

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   May 31st 2017 !⃝

   Y'all stupid sex addicts, it's not about anal.....jeez, get the f**k over yourselves and your fantasies

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
6. anonymous

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   Feb 8th 2016 !⃝

   He's a vampire and he won't bite her. He won't curse her with that for eternity. She's upset because he won't do it.
7. anonymous

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   Dec 29th 2011 !⃝

   There are a couple schools of thought on the interpretation of this song. The traditional theory is that Meatloaf doesn't want to bang her bootyhole. A more controversial opinion is that he doesn't want to lick her vajay.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
8. anonymous

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   Sep 11th 2011 !⃝

   i think his partner cheated on him and he is saying how much he loves her and he would never cheat. but she still blows hot and cold towards him. hes just trying to get the trust back.
9. anonymous

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   Jun 6th 2011 !⃝

   He is singing about the loss of his lady who has killed herself. The video shows this at 4.02 with the police tape, 4.04 with her limp hand on the floor and wen she drowns herself at 4.11, after which point she appears as a spirit. He will do anything for love but kill himself to be back with her. At 6.58 her spirit tells him sooner or later you will be screwing around, to which he replies "no i wont do that".After which his face appears normal representing he has taken his life too, as they ride off into the afterlife together.
10. anonymous

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    Mar 21st 2011 !⃝

    I'm not registered here, so I can't change from anonymous, but my name is Mel, huge Meat Loaf fan blah blah blah, you get the picture.
    
    What he wouldn't do is very simple, if you listen to the song, read the lyrics VERY carefully. This has been explained by Meat himself on Storytellers, a DVD that I strongly recommend, was recorded in 1998....
    
    EG 1:
    
    And I would do anything for love, I’d run right into hell and back
    I would do anything for love, I’ll never lie to you and that’s a fact
    But I’ll never forget the way you feel right now, oh no, no way
    And I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that, I won’t do that
    Anything for love, oh I would do anything for love
    I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that, oh I won’t do that
    
    1. He won't lie to her
    2. He won't forget the way she feels
    
    EG 2:
    
    As long as the planets are turning, as long as the stars are burning
    As long as your dreams are coming true, you better believe it
    That I would do anything for love, and I’ll be there til the final act
    I would do anything for love, and I’ll take a vow and seal a pact
    But I’ll never forgive myself if we don’t go all the way tonight
    And I would do anything for love, oh I would do anything for love
    Oh I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that, no I won’t do that
    
    3. He'll never forgive himself if they don't go all the way (The only reference to sex in the song)
    
    EG 3:
    
    But I’ll never stop dreaming of you every night of my life, no way
    And I would do anything for love, oh I would do anything for love
    I would do anything for love
    But I won’t do that
    No I won’t do that
    
    4. He'll never stop dreaming of her.
    
    
    As he describes it in Storytellers (I have watched this sooooo many times) Its the line before every chorus.
    
    Fun Fact: Meat & Jim Steinman argued over whether people would understand what they meant, "Of course they will, people aren't idiots."
    
    Now its the single most asked question when people meet him or in interviews.
11. anonymous

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    Feb 11th 2011 !⃝

    What he's saying is that he won't eat her pussy.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
12. anonymous

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    Oct 14th 2010 !⃝

    Me and wife agree that he is saying he would do anything for love but he will not take it in the bookus, if you listen closely to the lyrics he clearly says "butt I won't do that"....
13. XMusicXisXlifeX

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    Dec 13th 2009 !⃝

    I am a HUGE Meat Loaf fan. As Meat Loaf said himself, on his VH1 Storytellers CD, the "that" changes in every verse and simply means whatever was said before it in the verse.
    
    That means:
    
    1)"But I'll never forget the way you feel right now
    Oh no, no way
    And I would do anything for love
    But I won't do that."
    
    2) "But I'll never forgive myself
    If we don't go all the way tonight!
    I would do anything for love
    Oh, I would do anything for love
    I would do anything for love
    But I won't do that
    No, I won't do that."
    
    3)"But I'll never do it better than I do it with you
    So long, so long
    And I would do anything for love
    Oh, I would do anything for love
    I would do anything for love
    But I won't do that
    No, no, no, I won't do that."
    
    4) "But I'll never stop dreaming of you
    Every night of my life, no way
    And I would do anything for love
    Oh, I would do anything for love
    I would do anything for love
    But I won't do that
    No, I won't do that."
    
    It's all right there in the lyrics! Hope this helped:)
    
    MeatLoaf4ever!
14. anonymous

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    Jul 10th 2009 !⃝

    I feel that this song could be about his mother and the line "i would do anything for love but i wont do that" could be refering to how he wont ever forget his mother who died before he became a big star and the reason he carries a red scarf all the time is to remember his mother.
15. anonymous

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    Jun 30th 2009 !⃝

    He won't marry her duh!
16. dfp925

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    Jun 2nd 2009 !⃝

    Meatloaf will do "anything" for love - aka sex.
    
    He will do anything to get laid. period, end of sentence - that is what this song is about. Any thoughts of love, devotion, etc. are just thinking too deep.
    
    "But I won't do that" is merely the lie he uses to convince the gal to get laid - the "that" is whatever obstacle the gal puts up that stands between him and getting laid.........he want's to get laid, so he tells the gal he will do anything she wants.....and won't do whatever it is that she fears he will after she gives in..........

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
17. anonymous

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    May 30th 2009 !⃝

    He says, "some nights you're breathing fire, and some nights you're carved in ice." Obviously she's a shape-shifter. This might be a problem for anyone, but especially someone with pansy-ass restrictions.
18. anonymous

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    Mar 19th 2009 !⃝

    It's about anal sex, for sure.
    
    http://youtube.com/branscombex

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